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Vintage Light Balls

A touchstone is a grounding reminder of your intention; to be drawn on when you feel pulled off course.

Touchstone Sessions

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Our Approach

Learning is a personal journey.  Our job is to be useful to you in your own learning.  We work with you where you are, and we figure out together what feels useful to you.  We do not have an expectation that you be at a certain place, or know certain content at a particular age or stage. We do not prioritize good grades or academic success, unless this is a goal you have set for yourself.   What we want for you, is for you to achieve the outcomes that are most desirable to you, and know yourself better, as a learner, along the way.

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We are unschoolers who know that sometimes there are good reasons to do courses for credit, or get support with academic skills.  We support students to engage with the content in a way that is useful and meaningful for them; We work to foster a sense of curiosity and competency.  We are skilled at assisting people to trust themselves and to trust us in their academic pursuits, and to find deeper pleasure in the journey.

 

Many of the people we work with are people who live with significant anxieties around schooling and/or learning.  Often, somewhere along the way, we have learned that we can’t do something, or that the content is too hard, or we are unable.  It is satisfying to work to unlearn these old habits and rediscover our spark and curiosity. This is fun and hard work. We will work together to make big feelings and hard work mentionable and manageable.

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People who may be interested in setting up Touchstone  Learning Sessions:

  • A home learning family who would like to have some non-parent academic support in the mix. 

  • A young person seeking a respectful, joyful, non-parent adult to support their academic learning be it early reading ,a personal project, or high school math.  

  • A home learner who is working to change habits towards their projects and/or academic learning

  • A person new to university life who wants support managing their work.

  • A student who feels overwhelmed by managing school and course work

  • A person who feels anxiety with numeracy and literacy the encounter in the world and who would like to build confidence and skill.

  • An older unschooler, who wants academic skill building without actually having to go through school.

  • Someone who wants to better understand the content the are working with in their schooling, and would like a respectful and useful support person.

  • A young person, new to literacy and maths, who would like some non-parent support. 

 

DETAILS

* We tend to work with people ages 6 through 24, who themselves desire to work with us.

* During this time of covid, sessions are offered on Zoom, they are 45 minutes in length and are $50/session

* We are happy to work with siblings together or separately within the same time slot.  $60/session

* We are happy to work with a small group of people learning together.  Prices range from $60- $100/session

* Additional fees may be charged for additional prep such as curriculum development or research.

* Prior to our first session, we meet with participants and their families to discuss everyone's expectations and what we will do with out time together.  

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 Regulating our relationship to our work in way that nourishes us, is one of the most important things we can learn.  Touchstone sessions are designed for young people who wish to develop habits and awareness in their work that align with how they want to show up in the world.  

 We focus on developing a deeper understanding of what excites, motivates, and works for them, as well as what gets in their way. We support young people to develop self knowledge and self acceptance of their motivations and challenges. 

"My daughter is very shy and experiences a lot of anxiety, social and otherwise. Sam has an approach that my daughter describes as very gentle, flexible and open, and that I feel is really respectful and honouring of who my daughter is.  She offers a range of approaches in a very collaborative and responsive way, that has built trust and a growing sense of competence in my daughter. She has a quiet and thoughtful enthusiasm that feels very supportive and positive without being overwhelming.

I can’t recommend her enough!"

- Parent of client, 2016-18

"Paul and Sam are two of the most creative and effective teachers I have ever met. They are also kind, respectful and listen carefully to the kids they work with. Our kid was a very reluctant writer - struggling, frustrated and avoiding it whenever possible. Within a few months she was writing short essays and learning new strategies, gaining much-needed confidence in getting her ideas down on paper. I highly recommend Touchstone to anyone with an interest in child-led learning who needs some support."

- Parent of Client 2019-2020 

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